terms of spacing, attacking defenders or the goal, creating openings for shots, etc. The main differences are probably the impact of the blue line (which determines whether an offensive player is onside or offside), the boards/glass and how those speed up the game and make it more chaotic than either of the other sports I mentioned, and of course the extreme speeds players are traveling, combined with the possibility of body contact. The fact that everything has to be done with knives attached to your feet and using a stick rather than a hand to manipulate the puck just adds another layer of challenge and skill.

Just focusing on the impact of the boards and glass, some of the key differences that arise are cycling the puck and the so-called dump and chase offense.

Here is a former BYU hockey player talking about cycling the puck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=6DbJ3pU1cZ-hkFm4&v=MnnV78zSpXk&feature=youtu.be

Here is a discussion of dump and chase:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=VOKWxwoO4XGnnvZS&v=0VdgFUWm49I&feature=youtu.be

And if you will pardon the IG link, here is an account called Hockey Psychology discussing the set bank play. It seems to be a subset of, or wrinkle to, the dump and chase method. To the naked eye, it looks like total luck but teams practice it and this video explains it really well:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ml9RxLpXg/?igsh=MTJ0OHk2dm5ydW5mMQ==

Anyone can start playing hockey at any age and have tons of fun with it. The key is finding a division with similarly situated people (other beginners and whatnot) so you have the opportunity to develop at your own pace and you don’t get discouraged.

Sometimes finding affordable gear can be an obstacle, but it’s out there. There are Facebook groups dedicated to buying/selling used hockey equipment and the Sideline Swap and Kijiji apps are also good for hockey gear.

If you are in Utah, when the team gets situated, I guarantee there will be a ton of support and money offered to the community from the NHL to develop youth and adult hockey leagues and there may be lots of opportunities for cheap ice time and even free equipment in some instances.